Non mi lasciare (Don't leave me) is an excellent crime series. It is well known that Italians are good at mafia series. It is not without reason that the country is home to this criminal organization. However, Italy has more excellent series. Several family dramas are incredibly good. Consider, for example, absolute high-flyer L'amica Geniale (My Brilliant Friend). Traditional crime series may be less known, unless it is Rocco Schiavone. That one is pretty well-known. With Non mi lasciare, the Italians show that they can also produce great crime series.
The series has certain established characteristics for the genre, such as a traumatized leading actress. However, Non mi lasciare supplements this with a unique storyline. The trauma is depicted by materializing the thought of Elena (Vittoria Puccini, Romanzo famigliare). She sees the missing children she has been looking for for so long keep appearing. Another characteristic feature is that Elena returns to the place where she once came from. In this case it is Venice. There she has to work closely with her former boyfriend Daniele (Allesandro Roja, 1992). Their mutual past immediately causes tension.
With Non mi lasciare, the Italians show that they can also produce great crime series.
Daniele is now married and has children. His wife Giulia (Sarah Felderbaum, Medici: Masters of Florence) is heavily pregnant. However, Giulia is also a good friend of Elena. This love triangle and their shared past play an important role. What makes it so strong is that it is not an automatic one-two punch. The relationship between Elena and Daniele is intense. Giulia's jealousy is certainly present. Yet the mutual relationship and love for each other prevents everyone involved from taking drastic steps. That doubt, the search, the fear and the feelings that come with it are well explored.
The art of Non mi lasciare is that the story about the crime to be solved is no less than the story about the mutual relationship. Elena has been looking for several missing children for years. It takes a heavy toll on her. Especially because her employer is more likely to oppose than cooperate. Elena herself also played a role in this by not always adhering to the rules. As a result, she has to make an extra effort to keep the business alive. When it appears that the network she is looking for is based in Venice, she naturally becomes extra persistent. The problem is that no one wants to believe her. Daniele is only committed on the basis of their friendship. However, when things happen that even the critical Daniele cannot deny, he is also drawn into this case.
Non mi lasciare does an excellent job of maintaining the balance between relationships and solving the crime.
Non mi lasciare does an excellent job of maintaining the balance between relationships and solving the crime. Both storylines have different layers and unexpected twists. The images shot are unique, with great thanks to Venice. All that water and those beautiful buildings are an impressive addition to an already excellent series. The plot at the end and the tension built up for it are very strong. Just like the acting.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
